Vice President Kashin Shettima has told the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a socio cultural organization in the North, to resist the antics of a few mischief makers to fragment the unity of Nigeria.
Shettima, who urged the group to stand in solidarity with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, gave this charge on Wednesday during an audience with a delegation of the group led by its Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, “there is no better time than now for the leaders of the North to stand together as one” in support of efforts by the Tinubu administration to wriggle the nation out of the economic and social morass it was hitherto enmeshed in.
He drew the distinction between greed and grievance as propounded by those he described as “architects of modern conflict,” observing that, “while some agitations arise from genuine grievances seeking justice and fairness, others are fuelled by greed—by the quest to exploit disorder for selfish gain.”
He said the task before the Tinubu administration was to spot the difference between genuine grievance and greed, with a view to embracing “legitimate calls for equity and inclusion, and to isolate the forces that seek to profit from chaos.”
“We have proven, time and again, that our diversity is our strength, that our differences in tribe, faith, and geography are the very bricks that make this house of destiny we live in. This is why we must continue to resist all attempts to divide us or stir mischief among us. Our future depends on unity, and unity must remain our creed,” he stated.
Dispelling claims of ethnic and religious slant by peddlers of marginalisation, Shettima stated categorically that every group, faith, and tribe has a voice in national issues under the Tinubu administration, and that no group would be marginalized.
“What we do as a government is to ensure that every group, every community, every faith, and every voice finds its place in the national conversation. We will never accommodate the marginalisation of any group. Our policies are designed to create opportunities for all—to lift every community through inclusion, education, and enterprise.”
The Vice President assured the northern leaders that they were an integral part of the Tinubu-led federal government, and that the administration was ready to partner with the ACF in advancing the cause of the region and the nation as a whole.
He said, “The trajectory of the North, however, has been a sobering one. We began as a region defined by stability, vision, and a deep commitment to building bridges across ethnic, religious, and geographic divides. But what we have inherited today is a geography scarred by insecurity, mistrust, and economic decline.
“We cannot afford to allow this chaos to fester. We owe our people not only the burden of ending the cycle of killings and destruction that have crippled our communities, but also the duty of ensuring justice for victims of violence and deprivation.
“This government is yours. Your interests shall always find representation here, for I am one of you. And where there is a shortcoming, I assure you that you have direct access to me. We exist to serve you, to represent you, and to uphold the values that make the North an equal stakeholder in Nigeria’s identity.”
Shettima outlined what he described as deliberate steps being taken by the administration to reposition the fortunes of the North, saying the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President “prioritises education, agriculture, industrialisation, and security as the pillars of northern revival.”
He continued: “We are strengthening the foundations of education through reforms that empower local governments and promote fiscal autonomy at the grassroots. Through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND.
